Black Beauty (1877)

Beautifully illustrated unabridged hardcover with definitions of hard words in the margins, as well as pictures of the many dated things mentioned in the book.

A timeless story that should be required reading for everyone, whatever the age. When this book was written, horses were used for every kind of pleasure and work, and were part of most upper class households. Many thought of them the way we think of cars, vehicles there for our use and disposable when they no longer meet our requirements. These, however, are sentient creatures, with needs and feelings, and Sewell wrote a moving and informative piece in their behalf.

Who would not fall in love with Black Beauty; who would not suffer for these noble creatures when they are mistreated? The descriptions of check-reining made me feel sick for the horses and completely angry with the people who would do such a thing for fashion's sake alone. Some of the horses were treated well with poor owners and some badly with wealthy owners, proof that the difference was in the heart of the person who owned them. Sewell set out to expose the cruelty and idiocies of animal mistreatment and she succeeded in spades.

We don't have the exposure to horses that this society did. There are not horses in our streets and we do not use them for hauling our goods to market, but there are still lessons to be learned here. You can see the results of mistreatment of dogs and other domestic animals as close as your internet connection or your local animal shelter. Man failing to appreciate the animals around him is an age old problem and one that still requires our attention and improvement.

This is the first book that has made me cry quite a while! ( )

I read this in High School around 10 grade, I just read it just to read something. The story had some happy moments and it had it's sad moments. It's about a horse named Black Beauty and it's in his POV, he talks about all the stuff that he went though and all the good and bad things that he saw along the way in his life. I don't cry very often in books but there was one part when he saw a friend that he was a colt with and she was standing beside him and she was starving, that part just made me cried so bad. It was very upsetting for me because there really are horses that are staving out there and that just makes me so sad. ( )

A fascinating look into human behavior both good and bad.
"Through the eyes of Black Beauty, we observe the actions of human beings. The gallant horse is sold to many types of people. Some are good masters who treat Beauty with compassion and tenderness. Others are bad masters, who do not care if Beauty has enough food to eat or if he is too tired to be ridden."
You know, this is one of my all-time favorite stories. When I was very young I had a cartoon version of this story that I watched constantly. I now own the live-action film. I know the story like the back of my had. But I'd never read the book... til now!
Both utterly sad and depressing as well as joyous and triumphant, this book has an amazing story to tell. This is definitely one that pulls on your heart strings.
Perfect for teens and young adult readers as well as adults. I highly recommend this classic tale to everyone who loves animals of any kind. ( )

Black Beauty spends his youth in a loving home, surrounded by friends and cared for by his owners. But when circumstances change, he learns that not all humans are so kind. Passed from hand to hand, Black Beauty witnesses love and cruelty, wealth and poverty, friendship and hardship . . . Will the handsome horse ever find a happy and lasting home? Carefully retold in clear contemporary language, and presented with delightful illustrations, these favorite classic stories capture the heart and imagination of young readers. By retelling the story in a shorter, simpler form, these books become highly engaging for children, and the color illustrations help with both comprehension and interest level. Black Beauty is part of a collectible series that has strong gift appeal.